After her second meeting with Aphrodite, Daria was starting to wish that she had jumped into the harbor with Percy. She even would've preferred the ghost museum.
She didn't really mind hanging out with the girls, especially since she had Hazel there to calm them all down should any fights break out (maybe not a very likely possibility, but a possibility). Walking along the Battery, Daria was reminded of the last time she was here, and of that wonderful ice cream sundae that she, Reyna, and Jason had shared in the muggy heat.
Charleston Harbor glittered in the sun. To the north and south, strips of land stretched out like arms enclosing the bay. At the mouth of the harbor, about a mile out, was an island with a stone fort that Daria couldn't remember the name of.
Next to her, Annabeth inhaled the salty sea air. Daria knew she was thinking of Percy; he carried the scent of the ocean like it made up his blood, which it probably did.
The park was less crowded than it was last time, maybe the locals had gone on summer vacation. Or maybe, they just had the common sense to stay out of the repressive heat. She saw Hazel touch her hair, which, like Daria's own, was beginning to frizz to the point of no return.
"Kind of reminds me of New Rome," Hazel said. "All the big mansions and the gardens. The columns and arches."
Daria hummed in agreement. The American South had often been compared to Rome back before the Civil War. Back before a once honorful and prestigious society had fallen to the evils of slavery.
Piper kept looking around like she expected an ambush. She had said she'd seen this park in that blade of hers, but she wouldn't elaborate. Whatever. Daria knew that the spirit awaiting them wasn't dangerous. At least not physically.
She scanned the park before resting her eyes on her. "There." Daria pointed across the harbor. A hundred yards out, a shimmering white figure floated on the water. She beckoned the girls to follow them, which Piper was already doing in a sort of dazed wonder.
The woman was dressed like a Southern belle-just like last time. Her gown had a low-cut bodice of pink silk and a three-tiered hoop skirt. She wore tall white silk gloves, and held a feathered pink-and-white fan to her chest.
Years ago, Daria had Reyna standing next to her. She and Jason hadn't been dating yet, neither had she even been with Reyna which just served to make Daria feel even more inadequate compared to the beautiful goddess standing in front of her. Now however, she knew better. "We meet again."
"Aphrodite," Annabeth managed to get out. She seemed to be getting over the irrational jealousy that the goddess had graced them with.
"Venus?" Hazel asked in amazement.
"Mom," Piper said, with no enthusiasm.
"Girls!" The goddess spread her arms like she wanted a group hug.
The four demigods did not oblige. Hazel backed into a palmetto tree.
"I'm so glad you're here," Venus said. "War is coming. Bloodshed is inevitable. So there's really only one thing to do."
"And that is?" Annabeth ventured.
"Why, have tea and chat, obviously. Come with me!"
Venus led them to the central pavillion in the gardens, a white-pillared gazebo, where a table was set with silverware, china cups, and of course a steaming pot of tea. There were plates of scones, cookies, and muffins, fresh butter and jam. Venus sat in a wicker peacock chair.
"Oh, my sweet girls," the goddess said, pouring them all tea. "I do love Charleston! The weddings I've attended in this gazebo- they bring tears to my eyes. And the elegant balls in the days of the Old South. Ah, they were lovely. Many of these mansions still have statues of me in their gardens, though they called me Venus."
"Which are you?" Annabeth asked. "Venus or Aphrodite?"
The goddess sipped her tea. Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Annabeth Chase, you've grown into quite a beautiful young lady. You really should do something with your hair, though. And, Hazel Levesque, your clothes-"
"My clothes?" Hazel looked down at her rumpled denim, not self-consciously, but baffled, as if she couldn't imagine what was wrong with them.
"Mother!" Piper said. "You're embarrassing me."
"Well, I don't see why," the goddess said. "Just because you don't appreciate my fashion tips, Piper, doesn't mean the others won't. I could do a quick makeover for Annabeth and Hazel, perhaps silk ball gowns like mine—"
"Enough," Daria interjected. She spun her ring on the table subconsciously, a trait she had picked up so long ago in Latin and Arithmetic classes. "We didn't come here for fashion tips,"
"Fine," Aphrodite sighed. "To answer your question, Annabeth, I am both Aphrodite and Venus. Unlike many of my fellow Olympians, I changed hardly at all from one age to the other. In fact, I like to think I haven't aged a bit!" Her fingers fluttered around her face appreciatively. "Love is love, after all,
whether you're Greek or Roman. This civil war won't affect me as much as it will the others."
Wonderful, Daria thought. Every other Olympian was reduced to raving, brash scatterbrains, but at least we have love, revenge, and wine. Shakespeare, watch out!
Hazel nibbled a sugar cookie. "We're not in a war yet, my lady."
"Oh, dear Hazel." Aphrodite folded her fan. "Such optimism, yet you have heartrending days ahead of you. Of course war is coming. Love and war always go together. They are the peaks of human emotion! Evil and good, beauty and ugliness."
Hazel set down her sugar cookie. She had a few crumbs on her chin, and Daria liked the fact that Hazel either didn't know or didn't care.
"What do you mean," Hazel asked, "heartrending days?"
The goddess laughed as if Hazel were a cute puppy. "Well, Annabeth could give you some idea. I once promised to make her love life interesting. And didn't I?"
Annabeth almost snapped the handle off her teacup. "Interesting," Annabeth said, "is a mild way of putting it."
Venus tsked. "It'll all be irrelevant in the larger scheme of things. Daria has it much worse, doesn't she?" She glanced at her like they were sharing an inside joke.
Daria stopped fiddling with her jewelry. She didn't know exactly what Venus was referring to, but unlike the goddess, she didn't find it the least bit amusing. She could feel Annabeth's stare of confusion washing over her like the summer heat. But they had come here to do a job, not to pontificate on love. And Daria didn't want Venus anywhere near their relationship anyway.
"I couldn't care less," she said. Even though she did care. Very much.
The goddess clasped her hands as if Daria had just told her the newest gossip. "Oh, all of
you are such excellent stories—I mean, girls. You make me proud!"
"Mother!" Piper tossed her scone to the pigeons.
"Yes, sorry," the goddess said. "To make the story short, I'm here to help you, girls. I doubt you'll be seeing Hera much. Your little quest has hardly made her welcome in the throne room. And the other gods are rather indisposed, as you know, torn between their Roman and Greek sides. Some more than
others." Aphrodite fixed her gaze on Annabeth. "I suppose you've told your friends about your falling-out with your mother?"
"Falling-out?" Daria asked, though she was in no position to be drugging up unwanted emotions.
"An argument," Annabeth said. "It's nothing."
"Nothing!" the goddess said. "Well, I don't know about that. Athena was the most Greek of all goddesses. The patron of Athens, after all. When the Romans took over...oh, they adopted Athena after a fashion. She became Minerva, the goddess of crafts and cleverness. But the Romans had other war gods who were more to their taste, more reliably Roman—like Bellona—"
"Reyna's mom," Piper muttered. Daria couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes.
"Yes, indeed," the goddess agreed. "The Romans quite sidelined poor Athena. They took away most of her military importance. The Greeks never forgave the Romans for that insult. Neither did Athena."
"The Mark of Athena," Annabeth said. "It leads to a statue, doesn't it? It leads to...to the statue."
Aphrodite smiled. "You are clever, like your mother. None of your siblings have succeeded in recovering the statue. In the meantime, they've been keeping alive the Greek feud with the Romans. Every civil war...so much bloodshed and heartbreak...has been orchestrated largely by Athena's children."
Daria couldn't say she was very surprised. There was a fire in Annabeth's eyes that she had never seen in anyone, not even Reyna. Annabeth managed to be calculated and warm in the same breath. In Rome, they considered silver tongues to be much more dangerous than brawn, the same was true for the daughter of Athena.
Annabeth was trembling lightly. "This map," she said, "where is it?"
"Guys!" Hazel pointed to the sky.
Circling above the palmetto trees were two large eagles. Higher up, descending rapidly, was a flying chariot pulled by pegasi. Apparently Leo's diversion with Buford the end table hadn't worked—at least not for long.
Aphrodite spread butter on a muffin as if she had all the time in the world. "Oh, the map is at Fort Sumter, of course." She pointed her butter knife toward the island across the harbor. "It looks like the Romans have arrived to cut you off. I'd get back to your ship in a hurry if I were you. Would you care for some tea cakes to go?
The titles are part of a larger quote that a friend of mine once wrote, but I like when they align with the storyline lol.
Anyway, sorry this is a bit of a filler chapter. Hmmm, fun question if you feel like answering. Who's your favorite HOO character and why?
See y'all on Tuesday!
-M